A place of childrens' stories, funny blogs, unasked-for advice, stuff I've learned that might save you time and trouble, the perfect marriage (?), and other interesting stuff.

Believe in the Best Possible Outcome

I am having a right knee replacement done next week. After years of race-walking, karate, hiking and mountain climbing, my poor old knee needs help. I have done my mandated physical therapy, which has helped greatly. As the knee is now bone-on-bone, the exercises of course are for strengthening the muscles around the knee. I have a great doctor doing the surgery, and a dear friend (who also had this doctor for her knee replacement) has kindly lent me her walker to use post-surgery.

I know that I will have more physical therapy to do afterward, and that I won’t be using a pogo stick any time soon. But I also know that everything will go well and that I will be able to be more active again, to walk and hike again, and best of all; chase after my two fabulous granddaughters.

In every surgery I’ve ever had, everything has gone well. I have a routine that I go through each time I have surgery, and it works for me. First, I imagine (and say out loud) that everything is going to go perfectly and that I will be fine afterwards. Second, I call on my angels to watch over me. Third, I say a prayer for the doctors who will be working on me; I ask blessings on their brains, hearts, hands and feet (remember, they are on their feet a long time!). This time I will also be asking my mom to watch over me; I know that she will.

Of course I realize that anything can happen at any time, even during the most simple procedure. But I focus on the positive, and pull in all that positive energy to help me through. I go in with full expectation that I will be fine before, during and after.

Last June when I had my lumpectomy for breast cancer, I asked the anesthesiologist to say to me as I was going under, ‘I am going to be watching over you and keeping you safe. You are going to be fine.’ I also asked the doctor to speak to me while I was out, saying ‘you are going to be fine. I took care of everything.’

It is both funny and strange how that works; but it does work. I felt confident and cared for before and after surgery. My doctor at that time also added while I was going under, ‘now go to sleep and dream of George Clooney.’ I struggled up through the fog and said, ‘no, not him—Jeffrey Dean Morgan!’ Worked for me!

My point is to have a positive outcome in mind during this. I know that I will be hurting for a while, but my plan is to do everything the physical therapist asks me to do, and keep moving forward. I am not going to be a hero and ‘power through,’ I am going to be a healthy sensible person who understands that recovering from surgery will take time and effort. But I am up for it.

How wonderful it is to live at a time where you can actually get a new knee! Or hip or shoulder. Now, about that new brain…..nah, my old one is still good.

PS: I may miss a few posts while recovering, but in the words of the Terminator, “I’ll be back.”